Holiday Mail for the Troops!

It’s that time of year again where everyone starts thinking of those who are not with us- especially those who are not with us because they are overseas fighting. And as always, things like this show up in emails, twitter feeds and on Facebook walls.

Good intentions with little research can have a disastrous result. Sending mail to this address won’t get your cards delivered!

Well ladies and gents lets get the correct information out there!

Walter Reed Medical Center is located in Maryland. So if you are sending any mail to Walker Reed via Washington… expect it to be returned. Here is the correct address.

It is important to note the following. Any mail shipped to Walter Reed at the above address needs to be sent to a specific individual. Cards addressed to wounded troop, or vet, or any soldier WILL NOT be delivered.

So what can you do if you want to remember those injured troops at Holiday time?

Walter Reed has teamed up with the American Red Cross to provide Holiday Mail for injured troops. Holiday mail doesn’t just get delivered to Walter Reed. The American Red Cross has made it a point to deliver Holiday Mail to: Veterans, Military Families, and Active Duty service members at hospitals and in instillations around the world.

But there are some guidelines that must be met when sending Holiday Mail:

Card Guidelines:

Every card received will be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working around the country.

Please observe the following guidelines to ensure a quick reviewing process:

Ensure that all cards are signed.

Use generic salutations such as “Dear Service Member.” Cards addressed to specific individuals can not be delivered through this program.

Only cards are being accepted. Do not send or include letters.

Do not include email or home addresses on the cards: the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships.

Do not include inserts of any kind, including photos: these items will be removed during the reviewing process.

Please refrain from choosing cards with glitter or using loose glitter as it can aggravate health issues of ill and injured warriors.

If you are mailing a large quantity of cards, please bundle them and place them in large mailing envelopes or flat rate postal shipping boxes. Each card does not need its own envelope, as envelopes will be removed from all cards before distribution.

All holiday greetings should be addressed and sent to:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

The deadline for having cards to the P.O. Box is December 6th.
Holiday cards received after this date cannot be guaranteed delivery.

Please pass around the correct information any time you see one of those goofy Facebook, Twitter, or email posts. Let’s make this a great Holiday season for all of us: The troops, military families, vets, and of course each other.